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PHG Blog


Book Recommendation: "War and National Reinvention: Japan in the Great War, 1914–1919"
Greetings, I have another book recommendation for you all. I firmly believe that any study of the Second World War, modern warfare,...
Tony Boccia
Mar 31, 20252 min read


A brief history of Japan to accompany the Guide
Most of the locations on the website have a brief history on their page; however there's so much detail for Japan that it didn't quite...
Tony Boccia
Mar 28, 20253 min read


Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Ise history
This is a fascinating article on the history of the Imperial Japanese Navy battleship (later hybrid carrier-battleship) Ise courtesy of...
Tony Boccia
Mar 15, 20251 min read


Book Review: Japan's Longest Day: A Graphic Novel About the End of WWII: Intrigue, Treason and Emperor Hirohito's Fateful Decision to Surrender - Manga edition created by Yukinobu Hoshino
I've recently finished this manga, one of the better I've read, that follows the events of the last days of the Second World War,...
Tony Boccia
Mar 14, 20252 min read


On this day: Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami - March 11, 2011
On this day in 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean roughly 80 miles east of Miyagi, Japan. The earthquake,...
Tony Boccia
Mar 12, 20251 min read


IJN Yanagi Breakwater - Kitakyushu, Japan
Some ships live forever. Here is a breakwater in Kitakyushu, Japan that was partially made by the wreck of IJN Yanagi. Apparently part...
Tony Boccia
Mar 2, 20251 min read


Suo-Oshima Island - Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
About an hour drive south from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture is Suo-Oshima Island. There are several places...
Tony Boccia
Feb 19, 20252 min read


Mikasa Historic Memorial Warship - Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Mikasa Historic Memorial Ship and statue of Admiral Togo Heihachiro at Mikasa Park Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. Back in November 2024, I...
Tony Boccia
Feb 17, 20252 min read


Imperial Japanese Historical sites of Tokyo - Enomoto Takeaki statue in Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Enomoto Takeaki 榎本 武揚 is one of the founding fathers of the Imperial Japanese Navy, and a pivotal figure in the history of Japan.
Tony Boccia
Feb 17, 20253 min read
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